From The Worm Breeder's Gazette, 1995, v. 14, No. 1, p. 104.
THE EFFECT OF ETHANOL ON THE LIFESPAN AND FECUNDITY OF THE
AGED C. elegans
Vladimir V. Bakaev, box 45, Novosibirsk, 630107, USSR
Three adult animals were kept in microtitre wells containing 0,75
ml of liquid medium with E. coli during 12 hours, then they were
discarded and newborn larvae were transferred in next wells every
day (one worm in one well). After second day number of progeny
was calculated, if any animal during 2 days stopped reproduction,
I used new medium with ethanol in different concentrations: 0,0%
(control), 0,5%, 1,0% and 2,0%, 12 nematodes with every ethanol
concentration. Results are given in mean+/-S.E.
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Ethanol con-
centration 0,0% 0,5% 1,0% 2,0%
Mean life
span (days) 23,6+/-1,8 20,1+/-1,0 19,5+/-0,9 22,0+/-1,4
Mean life
span after
ethanol ad-
dition (days) - 5,4+/-0,9 3,8+/-0,6 7 0 5,2+/-1,5
Number of
progeny from
single worm 85,7+/-7,9 85,2+/-6,4 92,5+/-10,2 103,3+/-12,3
Maximal num-
ber of proge-
ny from one
worm after
ethanol ad-
dition - 35 44 60
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It can be concluded, that ethanol has no effect on life span of
aged C. elegans, but the fecundity slightly increased with incre-
asing ethanol concentration. In 7 cases ethanol renewed reproduc-
tion in C. elegans after 2 day ceasing, although there was no li-
fe prolongation.
Acknowledgment: The author wishes to express his gratitude to CGC
for providing C. elegans (Bristol, N2, wild line) and E. coli
OP50.